But the Argentine winger's roots are somewhat humbler than that, and Paul Smith of TheIndependent reports that he was once bought for the princely sum of 35 footballs:

When scouts from Rosario Central first spotted him there was a minor issue as he was already committed to playing for the local side Torito.

'They drove a hard bargain to release me,' recalled Di Maria. 'The transfer fee was 35 footballs. That probably puts into perspective where I was and how much it took to get me. Mind you I was very young, about four, so I’m not sure it really counts.'